June is usually much warmer and offers more cloud free days (and nights) than previous months. I hope that will be the case this year. Jupiter was at opposition last month, so it can be found higher in the sky earlier which will enhance the views through a telescope. Saturn will reach opposition towards the end of the month, which will also be a great telescopic target especially if you are able to wait a few more hours after sunset when it will be higher in the sky.
Mercury
Mercury will be easier to spot towards mid-month where it can be found nearly 10° above the western horizon after sunset. On the 19th, Mercury will form a triangle with the stars Castor and Pollux, also known as Gemini's twins. By the 27th, this trio will form a line in the evening sky. Mercury is usually hard to spot because it lies so close to the Sun and is often lost in the glare.
Venus
Venus will steal the twilight hours with its brilliance and will be hard to miss. It can be found high in the western sky after sunset. On the 15th, the Moon can be found just 7° below Venus and on the following evening, this same distance above the planet. On the 16th, the Beehive star cluster (M44) can be found between the two. If you have the proper gear for astrophotography, this would make a great photo. You might even be able to see M44 with a pair of binoculars. I have viewed M44 through my telescope and it really does look like bees flying around a beehive, hence its name. If you ever come to a star party with me, ask me to show it to you if I haven't already.
Mars
Mars will rise a few minutes after midnight during the opening of the month and by months end approximately an hour and half earlier. The red planet will continue to grow in brightness as well as moving closer to the Earth, greatly increasing telescopic views. However, the views will be much greater in July when Mars reaches opposition. Throughout June, Mars will more than double in brightness, making it easier to spot with the naked eye. If you know your constellations, Mars will be found in Capricornus during June. If you plan on using a telescope to view Mars, be sure to wait until its higher in the sky so you are looking through less of the Earth's atmosphere. This goes for any object in the sky!
Jupiter
Jupiter will likely be the first planet you will notice if you look to the east after sunset. It should be the brightest object in that direction, unless it's close to a Full Moon, but I'm sure you can tell the difference between the Moon and Jupiter. The best time to view Jupiter was in May when it reached opposition, but it will still be a great target for your favorite viewing device. Jupiter will be high enough in the sky after sunset to minimize atmospheric interference so if you are using a telescope, it won't appear hazy through your eyepiece. This giant planet will also dim slightly during the month of June since it is no longer directly opposite of the Sun.
Saturn
June is all about Saturn. This month, the ringed world reaches opposition on the 27th, but competes with a nearly full Moon on that night. Saturn will look great all month, so don't hesitate to give it your attention before (or after) it reaches opposition. Saturn will rise a couple of hours earlier than Mars during the beginning of the month and right at sunset by the 27th. If you have never seen Saturn with your own eyes through a telescope you are missing out! It is one of the most fantastic sights that I have seen. If you are ever at a star party, be sure to ask one of the astronomers to show you the ringed planet!
Uranus and Neptune
The best chance to view Uranus is towards late June when it can be found higher in the sky before sunrise. It can be found in the constellation of Aries the Ram near its brightest star. Neptune doesn't rise until 2 in the morning at the beginning of the month and by midnight at the end of June. It can be found in the constellation of Aquarius. Both of these outer worlds are best viewed through a telescope in a dark sky. I have not seen either of these planets yet, but look forward to hopefully being able to see them sometime this year.
The Moon
As mentioned quite a few times, the Moon is a great target and changes nightly. If you are waiting for your favorite deep sky object to rise, give your attention to the Moon. However, I would recommend using a Moon filter to help preserve your night vision. During June, the last quarter Moon will occur on the 6th, followed by the New Moon on the 13th. The first quarter Moon will be on the 20th with the Full Moon on the 28th.
Meteor Shower
There are no major meteor showers this month but keep your eye out for a stray meteor or two. Your best chances of seeing a stray meteor will be away from city lights.
Monthly Breakdown
June 03: Moon and Mars pass within 3°
June 06: Moon and Neptune pass within 2°
June 06: Last quarter Moon
June 09: Moon and Uranus pass within 5°
June 13: New Moon
June 15: Moon and Venus pass within 7°
June 16: Moon and Venus pass within 8° - M44 found between the two
June 19: Mercury forms a triangle with the Gemini Twins (Castor and Pollux)
June 20: First quarter Moon
June 23: Moon and Jupiter pass within 4°
June 27: Saturn at opposition
June 27: Moon and Saturn pass within 2°
June 28: Full Moon
June 30: Moon and Mars pass within 5°
News in Astronomy
This month, I wanted to talk to you about the brightness of objects in the sky. For the most part, I've held back throwing out numbers for how bright objects are, but I would like to include that in future posts. I'm sure you've noticed that some things are brighter than others, such as Venus being brighter than Jupiter, Polaris being not as bright as Sirius, and even the brightness of the Full Moon. This is referred to as the magnitude of an object. There are two types of magnitude, apparent and absolute.
Absolute magnitude is the brightness of an object if it were placed 10 parsecs away from the Earth. Ten parsecs is equal to 32.6 light years or 2,062,645 Astronomical Units (AU). If you recall, 1 AU is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, which is 93 million miles. I hope that you are understanding how large distances are in our solar system and beyond. The closest known star to us is Proxima Centauri which is only 4.22 light years away but most of the objects you see in the night sky are hundreds, thousands, or even millions of light years away. The absolute magnitude is used in combination with the apparent magnitude to determine how far away objects are. All of the same types of stars, such as red supergiants, will shine at the same brightness if placed at the same distance away from an observer. Using this information as well as knowing what stars are made of, their approximate size, the temperature, and how bright they shine, can help you determine the distance. Two red supergiant stars come to mind, Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion, and Antares in the constellation of Scorpius. Using these two stars as examples, astronomers can determine their distance based on their apparent magnitude. Without boring you with the equations and math, Antares is about 620 light years away and Betelgeuse is about 642 light years away.
The apparent magnitude of an object is how bright it appears from Earth. This is much easier to do, even if the system seems a little backwards. The apparent magnitude system is based off of the brightness of the star Vega. Vega is given the value of 0.0 magnitude. All stars brighter than Vega have a lower or negative magnitude. Sirius has an apparent magnitude of -1.0 which is about twice as bright as Vega. All stars that are dimmer than Vega have a higher or positive magnitude. Polaris, the North Star, has an apparent magnitude of 1.97 which is about a quarter of the brightness of Vega. So for each full magnitude, the brightness is double (or half) of the object you are comparing it to. The human eye can detect objects as dim as 7th magnitude, but they would have to be in a very dark location.
One the other end of the magnitude scale, the Sun is -26 with the Moon being -13. Venus usually shines at around -4 magnitude and Jupiter at -2. If an object shines at 0 or brighter (remember negative numbers), they can be seen from the city while everything else will need to be away from most of the major city lights.
Absolute magnitude is the brightness of an object if it were placed 10 parsecs away from the Earth. Ten parsecs is equal to 32.6 light years or 2,062,645 Astronomical Units (AU). If you recall, 1 AU is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, which is 93 million miles. I hope that you are understanding how large distances are in our solar system and beyond. The closest known star to us is Proxima Centauri which is only 4.22 light years away but most of the objects you see in the night sky are hundreds, thousands, or even millions of light years away. The absolute magnitude is used in combination with the apparent magnitude to determine how far away objects are. All of the same types of stars, such as red supergiants, will shine at the same brightness if placed at the same distance away from an observer. Using this information as well as knowing what stars are made of, their approximate size, the temperature, and how bright they shine, can help you determine the distance. Two red supergiant stars come to mind, Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion, and Antares in the constellation of Scorpius. Using these two stars as examples, astronomers can determine their distance based on their apparent magnitude. Without boring you with the equations and math, Antares is about 620 light years away and Betelgeuse is about 642 light years away.
The apparent magnitude of an object is how bright it appears from Earth. This is much easier to do, even if the system seems a little backwards. The apparent magnitude system is based off of the brightness of the star Vega. Vega is given the value of 0.0 magnitude. All stars brighter than Vega have a lower or negative magnitude. Sirius has an apparent magnitude of -1.0 which is about twice as bright as Vega. All stars that are dimmer than Vega have a higher or positive magnitude. Polaris, the North Star, has an apparent magnitude of 1.97 which is about a quarter of the brightness of Vega. So for each full magnitude, the brightness is double (or half) of the object you are comparing it to. The human eye can detect objects as dim as 7th magnitude, but they would have to be in a very dark location.
One the other end of the magnitude scale, the Sun is -26 with the Moon being -13. Venus usually shines at around -4 magnitude and Jupiter at -2. If an object shines at 0 or brighter (remember negative numbers), they can be seen from the city while everything else will need to be away from most of the major city lights.
Now get outside and look up!
